


Hand-in-Hand

by pickleplum



Series: Tales from the Shatterdomes [11]
Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Chao Lin (OC), Feng Lin (OC), Friendship, Gen, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Hong Kong Shatterdome, Jackson Jones (OC), Jaeger Pilots, Jaegers (Pacific Rim), Juliet Tam (OC), Li-hua Xiong (OC), Logan Jones (OC), Male Friendship, Mocking, Shaolin Rogue (Jaeger), Shatterdome Shenanigans, Swearing, Teasing, Tsuki Davega (OC), Vulcan Specter (Jaeger)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-23
Updated: 2016-06-23
Packaged: 2018-07-16 18:13:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7278547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pickleplum/pseuds/pickleplum
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When <em>Shaolin Rogue</em> becomes lost on a supposedly routine patrol, <em>Vulcan Specter</em> must come to their rescue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Foggy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kalandan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalandan/gifts).



> March 2017  
> Hong Kong(-ish?), China

\- the fog ate the city! (27/03/21, Hong Kong) -

_Vulcan_ straightens, engines purring, frame humming.

Jack flips his comm, locks it 'open', announces, " _Vulcan Specter_ in the water. Our beacon and lights're on."

""We see you, _Vulcan_ ,"" snickers Commander Tse, "but do **you** see _Shaolin_?"

Logan opens his comm. "We see nothin' but fog."

""Your sensors, Rangers?"" prompts Marshal Xiong.

Jack flips through the various readouts. "Also nothing, ma'am." Frowns. "They're either out of our range or they've been sucked onto a parallel Earth."

‒ Nerd. ‒

‒ 凸(¬､¬) ‒

Logan huffs. "'ey, Curtains! Can you see any boats?"

""Of course we can't,"" snaps Chao. ""It's dark out!""

Jack rolls his eyes. "Can you see any **lights**?"

Three seconds.

""I don't think so ....""

"Are you blockheads at least still in the water?"

""Yes.""

"That's something. About how deep is it?"

""Our display won't display,"" gripes Feng.

Jack and Logan gaze heavenward.

Jack suggests, "Splash around a bit."

""Splash—oh! Okay!""

Background engine noise.

""Nearly to our knees.""

"So you're near a coast."

""You know where we are?"" hopes Feng.

「Not a clue, asshat.」

"Not yet—"

「Just sit your orange ass down and **don't** **move**.」

"—but we'll find you," assures Jack.

「「There's no need to be mean, Logan.」」

「Oh, I'm sorry. Which've us's managed to lose ourselves and seventy-five meters of robot?」

Jack raises his voice, asks, "LOCCENT, what's the last position you had for them?"

「「It's really foggy!」」

""The Banana Peel.""

Logan dons a falsetto. 「'It's really foggy!'」 Sniffs, 「What're you, five?」

"The what now?"

「「You know perfectly well I'm nineteen!」」

""It's what we call the rocks those two always slip and fall on.""

「Five, nineteen, whatever. You're a widdle baaa-by.」

Jack rolls his eyes. "Which's how they broke their beacon, ay?"

「「Now you've done it,」」 sighs Chao. 「「You've made him cry.」」

""Yea."" Tse sighs. ""I've put a pin in your map.""

「Are you fucking with me?」

‒ Shut up, Logan. ‒

‒ (¬､¬)凸 ‒

「「Why would I joke about that?」」

"Got it. Thanks. We'll mosey over there and see what we can see."

""Watch your step, _Vulcan_.""

Giggles from LOCCENT.

Logan grumbles, 「You two are gonna owe us so bad for this.」

「「You'll have our undying gratitude.」」

「You're going to owe us something **worthwhile**.」

‒ Shut **up** , Logan. ‒

‒ 凸(¬､¬)凸 ‒

So _Vulcan_ goes trudge, trudge, trudge, trudge—

And, **finally** , after forty-six minutes, the little green Jaeger icon reaches the bright yellow banana icon.

"We're here—"

"And they're not."

"They're not even showing up on sensors yet," Jack almost-whines. "How far did you guys walk?"

""I don't know!""

Jack grinds his teeth.

"Don't suppose you know what **direction** you went, either?"

""Away from the rocks?""

‒ (ヽ `д´)┌┛★)`з゜) ‒

Jack snorts a laugh. "Look, guys, give us **something** to work with here. Nobody wants to be at this 'til sunrise."

Five seconds.

""Marco?"" offers Feng.

‒ (－ˍლ) ‒

"For fuck's—that won't work with **radios** ," says Logan.

Eighteen seconds of embarrassed silence.

""What if we sound the horn and see if you hear it? And then you can sound your horn and we'll see if we hear it?""

"Good idea as any."

""Gentlemen,"" says the Marshal. ""I would prefer to avoid meeting with the Chief Executive about yet another 'disturbing the peace' violation.""

"Yes, ma'am."

""Yes, Marshal.""

"" _Vulcan_ ,"" she continues, ""run a clockwise spiral centered on your current location until _Shaolin_ turns up on your sensors.""

Logan whines internally.

"Yes, ma'am," chirps Jack and drags Logan and _Vulcan_ into a steady jog.

Tromp, tromp, tromp, tromp, tromp—

""Do you see us yet?""

"No."

Tromp, tromp, tromp, tromp—

""Do you see us yet?""

" **No.** "

Tromp, tromp, tromp—

""How about now?""

"No, goddammit."

Tromp, tromp—

""What about—""

「You really **are** fucking five.」

"Oh thank the Great Old Ones," mumbles Jackson. "We've got an echo!"

""We're saved!"" squee Feng and Chao.

"Relaying coordinates, LOCCENT."

""Received, _Vulcan_.""

LOCCENT mumbles.

""Rangers Lin, upon completing decontamination, you will be explaining how you came to be lost less than a thirty-minute run from the Shatterdome.""

""It's really foggy!"" whines Feng.

""Yes, ma'am,"" says a contrite Chao.

"Hey, Jack?"

"Yea?"

"You're **sure** that's a Jaeger?" Smirks. "Looks more like a container ship to me."

"Yeaaaaa ... now that you mention it—"

A high-pitched, pained noise from _Shaolin_ 's comms.

"No, no, wait. That's **definitely** a Jaeger." Turns to Logan. "Maybe you need to wear your—"

‒ (Ó_#)ò=(°□°ò) ‒

Jack winces, shakes his head clear. "Lins, can you see our lights?"

""I don't think so?""

「Are you lost **and** blind?」

""There you are! I see you!"" A squee. ""I see you!""

""Go toward the light!"" intones Tse.

Muffled laughter from LOCCENT.

_Shaolin_ 's spotlights jump—

Chao squawks.

—several meters, then approach rapidly—

「「Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!」」

「Don't—!」

_Vulcan_ tips backward—

Steel sings against steel, then metal groans under stress.

—crashes through the surface of the water—

Jack and Logan wheeze under _Shaolin_ 's weight on their chest.

—settles against the rocky bottom.

「Get. Off. Now.」

「「I thought I'd never see you again!」」

「 **Now** , Drapes.」

_Shaolin_ releases _Vulcan_ from her bear hug, rolls clear; both Jaegers push to standing.

"Okay, right, cool," says Jack. "We've got 'em, LOCCENT. Heading back."

""Copy, _Vulcan_. C'mon home.""

"Right, then," says Logan, clamping his hand on _Shaolin_ 's collar and shoving them forward. "Let's go."

""This is very undignified,"" sniffs Chao.

「I don't give a rat's ass about your dignity—」

Jack explains, "We're **not** hunting you down again, so we're keeping you where we can see you."

"'sides, how is this **more** embarrassing than getting lost in one of the highest pieces of tech on Earth?"

""He has a good point, Brother.""

Chao sighs.

_Vulcan_ and _Shaolin_ trudge, trudge—

Then Chao says, ""Perhaps we could hold hands instead.""

" **No** ," snaps Logan.

""But your arm must be getting tired,"" Feng points out.

"Our muscles lock if we hold position long enough, so I'm not doing **any** work."

"Let 'em go," orders Jack.

"But—"

"Just—"

"Fiiine—" Logan pries his fingers loose. "—but you're doing the holding."

Jack grumbles, sticks out his hand.

Feng takes it, coos, ""Thank you.""

Hand-in-hand, _Vulcan_ and _Shaolin_ trudge, trudge, trudge—

""We deeply appreciate you coming to our aid, especially so early in the morning.""

"You'd better be," mutters Logan.

Hand-in-hand, trudge, trudge, trudge, trudge—

""The sunrise is quite lovely today.""

Jack grunts.

Clanking.

Hand-in-hand, trudge, trudge, trudge, trudge, trudge—

Feng humming.

Clanking.

「If you're singing and **swinging** our arms—」

Clanking stops.

「「For the record, it was a prayer chant,」」 says Chao.

「Suuuuure.」

The tops of skyscrapers edge into view.

""Home sweet Hong Kong!"" cheers Feng.

"Whee," says Logan.

The sky between the mouth of the harbour and the Shatterdome buzzes with more helicopters than usual.

Logan and Jack exchange a look.

"LOCCENT, what's with all the air traffic?" Jack asks.

""That would be the media,"" says Tse, croaking around a laugh. ""Losing a Jaeger may not be a big deal in Vladivostok, but here?""

Snickering.

""They heard you were coming in together and—"" Chuckles. ""—must've decided they wanted pictures.""

‒ Marshal tipped 'em off. ‒

‒ Or Jamie did. ‒

Two seconds.

‒ We're never gonna live this down. ‒

‒ Nope, ‒ sighs Logan.


	2. Magnets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The inevitable fallout from _Vulcan_ 's rescuse mission, uh, falls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> April 2017  
> Hong Kong, China

\- Ruby's big day! (December 2027) — Bubbles!!! -

" _Vulcan_ and _Shaolin_ sitting' in a tree, K-I-S-S—"

Jackson strolls to a stop, clears his throat.

 _Lucky_ techs scatter like roaches.

" **Never** gonna live it down," he mutters, resuming his turf-ward trudge.

""Shit! **Hot!** ""

Jackson peers into the rec. "Everyone okay?"

Juliet, biting her lip and flapping her left hand, nods.

"Turns out hot glue is actually hot," drawls Tsuki.

Juliet gives zhir a look.

Jackson ambles over—frowns. "The hell're you doing?"

"I got hold of one of the prototype _Shaolin Specter_ playsets—"

"With magnetized hands!"

Mini- _Vulcan_ 's hand _click_ s against mini- _Shaolin_ 's and stays put.

"—and was dressing it up a little bit."

Jackson crosses his arms, grumps, "Why do we get the veil?"

"Because the bowtie would get lost on _Vulcan_ and the ivory looks awful with _Shaolin_ 's colour," explains Juliet.

"I don't—"

"Remember your lectures on gender assumptions~," sings Tsuki.

Jackson ... concedes.

Juliet tweaks the bouquet of teeny silk roses in _Vulcan_ 's free hand.

"The tie's crooked," Jackson mumbles.

Juliet and Tsuki beam at him.

Jackson _hmph_ s, spins on his heel, and shtumps out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Photo by [Faylyne](https://www.flickr.com/photos/bellafaye8/) [[CC BY 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)] via [Flickr](https://www.flickr.com/photos/bellafaye8/9775887343/in/photostream/).
> 
> Because any PR department worth its salt would take advantage of this situation, right? XD


	3. Traditional

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And the fallout falls on the other hemisphere of _Vulcan Specter_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> April 2017  
> Hong Kong, China

\- 「Xia's wedding, Hong Kong (20 February 2022) — Seti」 -

Logan strolls into Jack's room. "Jamie said you had ca—the holy fuck're you doing?"

He doesn't look up from his fiddling. "The bowtie's still crooked."

"The **fuck**?"

Jack sits back, waves 'frustration' at the two bitty Jaegers on his desk. "Juliet glued the damn tie on wonky and I can't get it fixed."

"Tam gave you a fucking Jaeger **wedding** playset—"

Jack scowls, pokes bitty _Shaolin_ 's fist so it _click_ s and fucking **sticks** against _Vulcan_ 's.

"—and you're **playing** with it?"

"It's **crooked**!"

" **That's** what you're worried about?! Not, I dunno, the fact they're makin' fucking lovey-dovey dolls outta our Jaegers?!"

"They're kinda cute," mumbles Jack.

Logan throws up his hands and stomps off for less nerdy territory.

Which brings him, in short order, to the _Shaolin Rogue_ Ranger suite and Drapes' room.

He throws himself down on Drapes'—

"MAAAAUU!"

A streak of white flies out the door.

—bed, flops an arm over his eyes.

A cat immediately tucks itself into his armpit.

Another climbs—

"Oi there, Fishbreath."

—onto his stomach and curls up.

Drapes hums some silly little tune.

Logan sits up, displacing a number of rather miffed cats.

「Have a pleasant nap?」

「Yea, better than hanging out with—th' fu—you, too?!」

Drapes looks up from adjusting bitty  _Vulcan_ 's cheongsam (why does he even **know** that word?). 「I thought I had the only one!」

Logan drags a hand down his face. 「Jack got one somehow.」

A cat claims his lap.

He reflexively scratches its ears.

「Why do we get the dress?」

「Because _Vulcan_ looks naked in black and the red clashes with _Shaolin_ 's colour.」

Logan rolls his eyes.

Drapes straightens _Vulcan_ 's little headdress and nudges the two Jaegers closer together.

「Did you sew that?」

Drapes scoffs, 「Of course not.」

Logan exhales.

「Brother did.」

Logan flops back. 「I knew it. I'm surrounded by nerds.」

A cat immediately tucks itself into the curve of his neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Photo by [Cormac Heron](https://www.flickr.com/photos/cormacheron/) [[CC BY 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/) ] via [Flickr](https://www.flickr.com/photos/cormacheron/5161912120/in/photolist-8S99CQ-8S65yZ-8S65an-8S8Sh7-6hWfvC-8kWte9-deFeWQ-8G3ukZ-t5GyE-dQWvyB-68xZte-8S5VGF-8S5Eir-6hS7yD-8S5XtD-8S5NYV-deFenY-69c4UD-8S5KbP-8S8LiY-deFecA-8S5Zj4-6hWghm-deFgpp-8S8FTN-8S5YNZ-8S5EBP-6hS7R6-8S93fw-deFe4m-8S8Tj7-3WVUgy-8S65W8-8S66KK-7zjfh2-8S8KoQ-8S5DD4-8kK7kY-8S8ZSy-deFg36-8S5M4X-8S5Pt6-deFfMx-8S8SZm-68CdES-8S5PK6-deFgbg-fXpwMg-8kFRkc-8S5YsF).
> 
> Blame Kalandan, who asked how Logan would react to the mini, magnetized Jaegers, for this new chapter.

**Author's Note:**

> Photo by [Maciej Janiec](https://www.flickr.com/photos/mjaniec/) [[CC BY-NC-SA 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/)] via [Flickr](https://www.flickr.com/photos/mjaniec/4013415739/).
> 
> Beta, as always, by the inimitable artificiallifecreator.
> 
> Kalandan made the mistake of mentioning they loved reading about the Jones brothers, so I've inflicted this entry from my 'to post someday' folder on the world tonight. I hope you're happy with yourself. XD


End file.
